Mifchíe/s of difcord, 75 without ; when their difagreements and fepara-- tions make them feem odious and vile. As a mu- fcal inftrument in tune, or a fet of mufick,delight the hearer by the pleafing harmony ; when one or more inftruments out of tune,or ufedby a rude unskilful hand, will weary out the patienceof the hearer ; fo is it in this cafe ; and the difference is much greater, between concordant and dif- concordant Chriftians. Who loveth to thruft himfelf into a fray ? Andwhat wife man had not rather partake of the friendly converfe, than joyn with drunken men that are fighting in the ftreets? Peace and Concord are amiable even tonature ; And you can fcarce take a more effe tual means, to win the World to the Love ofHolinefs, than by Mewing them that Holinefs doth make you un- feigned and fervent in the Love of one another. I Pet. I. 22. Nor can you devife how to drive menmore efeEtually fromChrift, and to damn their fouls, than to reprefent Chriflians to them like a company of mad men, that are tearing out the throats of one another ? How can you think that the unbelievers and ungodly Thould think well ofthem, that all fpeak fo ill ofone another ? When the Lutheran flyeth from the Calvinift,and theEpifcopal from the Puritan and the Proteftant from theAnabaptift, and the Presbyterian from the Independent, and all the other fide implaca- bly fly from them, Canyou wonder if the Infidel and the Idolater fly further from you all ? Mark well the words of Chriil in his prayer, fob. 17. 2e, 21, 221 23. For tens »ihich Jhall believe on me by their word, that they all may be one, as thou Fa ther art inme, andl in thee, that they alfo may be one in
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=